The Cartographers’ Guild is a forum created by and for map makers and aficionados, a place where every aspect of cartography can be admired, examined, learned, and discussed. Our membership consists of professional designers and artists, hobbyists, and amateurs—all are welcome to join and participate in the quest for cartographic skill and knowledge.

Although we specialize in maps of fictional realms, as commonly used in both novels and games (both tabletop and role-playing), many Guild members are also proficient in historical and contemporary maps. Likewise, we specialize in computer-assisted cartography (such as with GIMP, Adobe apps, Campaign Cartographer, Dundjinni, etc.), although many members here also have interest in maps drafted by hand.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ. You will have to register before you can post or view full size images in the forums.

Hybrid View

New Big Project (Battletech)

After trying some new styles, I've decided on playing with Pasis' style and using it for my Big Project (TM).

I've been doing some planetary maps lately (see Sci-Fi section for one) for a new hobby I'm starting up with a few friends, namely Classic Battletech, the Tabletop Game.

We want to start up a roleplay Campaign about building up a mercenary company and as I am the guy who plunges into new hobbies and RPG's with a happily-mad giggling and glee, I've begun a to make a planetary map for said campaign.

So there was born Ionus II, the planet I'm talking about here.

About one day of work went into creating the Alpha-Map for this huge thing and since yesterday I begun making the map "real".

So yeah, here is a small part of the world and a "locator" picture, that lets you see where on the big map this part is.

For informations sake, the map is 8000 * 5000 pixels at 300 dpi

This is going to be my Big Project (TM) for the upcoming weeks!

P.S.: The part shown is not yet finished. It's a first-look on the map.

Have fun stitching this thing together, I would never have enough patience. Looks good so far tho.

If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)

For some things, I do have patience. Like mapping and all other RPG-related stuff. I once even wrote a 60 page "book" written completely in-game because one of my players wanted to buy a book, so he could rationalize getting Knowledge (The Planes) in our D&D game (was back in 3.5E). After two weeks he got his wish, a complete book, "Adharals Magical Compendium".

Oh yea, it's all about the passion. I used to do things like that but now...not so much

If the radiance of a thousand suns was to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the Mighty One...I am become Death, the Shatterer of worlds.
-J. Robert Oppenheimer (father of the atom bomb) alluding to The Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 11, Verse 32)

Yeah my "freakish stuff" meter is going down too, mostly because of college and other stuff. I hope that beginning Battletech Classic will bring back some of the fire

And currently it certainly does. I'm reading and working about it all the time, mostly because Battletech is representative of the good thing in my childhood. I've learned about my personal idol, Michael A. Stackpole, through Battletech and I read a lot about it...

For some things, I do have patience. Like mapping and all other RPG-related stuff. I once even wrote a 60 page "book" written completely in-game because one of my players wanted to buy a book, so he could rationalize getting Knowledge (The Planes) in our D&D game (was back in 3.5E). After two weeks he got his wish, a complete book, "Adharals Magical Compendium".

Man that was some freakish stuff...

Wow... that's awesome. I only wish I had your patience and passion... I have enough passion to read about it but not enough patience or maybe 'ideas' to feel confident about creating up awesome stuff and a lot of it... way to go!

The picture shows the planetary info, derived from the usual Classic Battletech Data on any given planet, with some added info (planetary day, diameter).

For those interested in it, I'll explain the stuff a little.

Star Type is the Spectral Classification of the star, K3V means basically it's a Orange Dwarf (Main Sequence) Star (warning, basic knowledge only, learned this today). The recharge time is how long a jumpship needs to load it's reactor with solar energy before it can begin a jump.

Time to Jump Point is the time you need from the Planet with a Dropship to the Jumpship Jump-Point (obviously).

Recharge Station basically means whats the space station near the jump point (my guess here, I'm still new to this ).

HPG-Class means which class the interstellar communications-equipment is. Class C means that every week once or twice the comm equipment will send a bundle of all collected "mail" to the next planetary relay station up to 50 parsec away. It's the 2nd lowest class.

Highest Native Life means - logically - the highest form of evolution from this planet before human settlers came.

Socio-Industrial level is a collection of 5 categories, each explained in short below:
1. First letter (D) stands for the Technical Sophistication, which here means Low-Tech world, equivalent to 21st century technology freely available.